Hillary Rodham Clinton has spent four decades in public service as an advocate, attorney, First Lady, U.S. Senator, U.S. Secretary of State, and presidential candidate.

Hillary Clinton was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 26, 1947. After graduating from Wellesley College and Yale Law School, she began her life-long work on behalf of children and families by joining the Children’s Defense Fund.

In 1974, she moved to Arkansas, where she married Bill Clinton and became a successful attorney while also raising their daughter, Chelsea.

As First Lady of the United States, from 1993 to 2001, Hillary Clinton championed health care for all Americans and led successful bipartisan efforts to improve the adoption and foster care systems, reduce teen pregnancy, and create the Children's Health Insurance Program.

In 2000, Clinton made history as the first First Lady elected to the United States Senate, and the first woman elected to statewide office in New York. As Senator, she worked across party lines to expand economic opportunity and access to quality, affordable health care. After September 11, 2001, helped to rebuild New York and provide health care for first responders.

In 2007, she began her historic campaign for president, winning 18 millions votes and becoming the first woman to ever win a presidential primary or caucus state.

In her four years as America's chief diplomat and the President's principal foreign policy adviser, Clinton led the effort to restore America’s leadership in the world. She negotiated a cease-fire in Gaza that defended Israel’s security and headed off another war in the Middle East, mobilized an international coalition to impose crippling sanctions against Iran, and championed human rights around the world, as she has her entire career.

In 2016, Clinton made history again by becoming the first woman nominated for president by a major U.S. political party. As the Democratic candidate for president, she campaigned on a vision of America that is “stronger together” and an agenda to make our economy work for everyone, not just those at the top., earning the support of nearly 66 million Americans.

Hillary Rodham Clinton is the author of seven best-selling books. What Happened – released in September of 2017 – spent 16 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller List.

She and President Clinton reside in New York, have one daughter, Chelsea, and are the proud grandparents of Charlotte and Aidan.

Madeleine K. Albright is the chair of Albright Stonebridge Group, a global strategy firm, and chair of Albright Capital Management LLC, an investment advisory firm focused on emerging markets. She was the 64th secretary of state of the United States. Named in 1997, she was the first female secretary of state and became the highest-ranking woman in the history of the US government at that time. From 1993 to 1997, Albright served as the US permanent representative to the United Nations and was a member of the president’s cabinet. She is the Michael and Virginia Mortara Endowed Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Diplomacy at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service. Albright chairs the National Democratic Institute’s board of directors. She is also the president of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation and a member of the US Department of Defense’s Defense Policy Board. The 2001 Radcliffe medalist, she was chosen by President Obama in 2012 to receive the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in recognition of her contributions to international peace and democracy.

Courtesy of Nicholas BurnsNicholas Burns is the Roy and Barbara Goodman Family Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Relations at Harvard Kennedy School, where he is also faculty director of the Future of Diplomacy Project and the Transatlantic Relations Initiative. A career foreign service officer, Burns served in the US government for 27 years.

Courtesy of Michele FlournoyMichèle Flournoy ’83 is a cofounder and the managing director of WestExec Advisors and a cofounder and former president and CEO of the Center for a New American Security. Flournoy served as the undersecretary of defense for policy in 2009–2012.

Courtesy of Maura HealeyMaura Healey ’92 is the attorney general of Massachusetts, leading the People’s Law Firm in the fight for fairness and equality. Healey has gained national prominence for her leadership in Massachusetts since she took office, in January 2015.

Courtesy of Meghan O'SullivanMeghan O’Sullivan is the Jeane Kirkpatrick Professor of the Practice of International Affairs and director of the Geopolitics of Energy Project at Harvard Kennedy School. She served as special assistant to President George W. Bush and the deputy national security advisor for Iraq and Afghanistan.

Courtesy of Anne-Marie SlaughterAnne-Marie Slaughter JD ’85 is the president and CEO of New America and the Bert G. Kerstetter ’66 University Professor Emerita of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University. She is a former J. Sinclair Armstrong Professor of International, Foreign, and Comparative Law at Harvard Law School (1994–2002) and was the director of policy planning at the State Department in 2009–2011.

Sweltering heat didn’t deter some 2,000 Radcliffe alumnae and affiliates from gathering for today’s presentation of the 2018 Radcliffe Medal to Hillary Rodman Clinton. The honor is awarded yearly to “an individual who has had a transformative impact on society.”

Nicholas Burns, Michèle Flournoy, Anne-Marie Slaughter, Meghan O’Sullivan, and David Ignatius discussed “Toward a New Global Architecture? America’s Role in a Changing World” to open Radcliffe Day 2018.

Hillary Clinton implored a crowd at Harvard University on Friday to stand up for "the truth, facts and reason" as attacks on the rule of law, free press and elections threaten to undermine American democracy.